


Bewitched

by Swanny_Writer



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Fluff, Halloween, How do you write short drabbles???, Implied Sexual Content, It's October--aka Halloween Month, Junhui remains oblivious and cute, That's my excuse anyway, Wonwoo is a protective BF, girl!junhui, girl!minghao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-09
Updated: 2017-10-09
Packaged: 2019-01-11 01:33:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12312021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swanny_Writer/pseuds/Swanny_Writer
Summary: Jeonghan needs volunteers to help put up a haunted house for the Halloween festival. Everyone helps out, except Wonwoo, because he's (still) allergic to school socials.(Or the one where Wonwoo doesn't approve of Jun's Halloween costume)





	Bewitched

**Author's Note:**

> So it's Halloween Season, and I thought it'd be fun to have something for WonHui. Hopefully it's not a disaster waiting to happen... 
> 
>  
> 
> P.S.: Tanvi, I blame you for the creation of this fic. 
> 
> Shoutout to Fifirara392 for the wizard and kitten. ;D

 

It’s an unusually warm fall afternoon when Wonwoo walks across campus and finds his friends sitting around the picnic table on the lawn. Jeonghan is standing at the front, holding a notebook, arms waving in the air excitedly. The other two seniors nod along to whatever he’s telling the group. If Wonwoo had to guess, he’d put money on the topic concerning some kind of school sponsored event. With Jeonghan as one of the most active members of the student association (which is quite ironic considering how much of a lazybones he usually is), Wonwoo and their collection of friends always ended up roped in one social or another, whether they want to or not.

Most often than not, Wonwoo does not. 

In fact, he should just turn around right now and head for the other direction, where a nice and comfortable armchair on the seventh floor of the library waited for him. He has no idea what prompted him to show up here in the first place. 

Just as he spins on his heels and readies to vanish into the crowd, a sweet and entrancing voice rings out, “Wonwoo!”

He freezes on the spot and curses under his breath. One day, that voice and its owner are going to be the death of him. Heaving a sigh, he relents to his fate and slowly circles back to the group, mentally saying goodbye to his quiet and peaceful afternoon at the library. 

As expected in the aftermath the outburst, all twelve of his friends are staring at him. He ignores most of them, gaze snapping to the bane of his existence and the source of his happiness. Not that she needs to know that, when she’s the reason he’s forced to be part of yet another dumb social.

“So glad you could join us, Wonwoo,” Jeonghan sneers, arching a brow at him.

He mumbles something too low to be heard as he walks to the picnic table.

Sitting on the bench and leaning back against Jihoon’s legs, Junhui beams at him. Her purple hair shimmers under the glow of sunlight as the boy behind her threads his fingers through the long strands absentmindedly. Just as Wonwoo nears, she reaches out for him. He responds all too easily, squeezing her slender hand once, before stroking her chin. Then he rounds the corner and takes the empty seat next to Seungkwan. 

“So as I was saying,” Jeonghan resumes his speech. “I’ve managed to reserve the haunted house, and I’m going to need at least ten volunteers to help me set everything up, and act as the actors for the duration of the festival.”

“Is it gonna be in the gym again?” Soonyoung wants to know. “Because last year’s group sucked.”

“Seriously,” Seokmin agrees, adding, “If _I_ didn’t even get scared, you know it’s bad.”

“Why was it such a disaster?” Junhui wonders, leaning an elbow on Jihoon’s knee.

Looking past the few boys separating them, Soonyoung meets Junhui’s eyes. “You’re lucky you were on your semester abroad, Junnie,” he grimaces. “Let’s just leave it at that.” 

Minghao, stretching her leg over Mingyu’s lap, tries to fix the brace around her ankle. “It’s because they had no idea what they were doing. We can totally beat their revenue.”

“Did they even make _any_ profit?” Mingyu wonders as he swats his girlfriend’s hand away to do it himself. She huffs, but settles back. “If I remember correctly, didn’t most of the visitors ask for a refund?”

“I know I did.” Seungkwan raises his hand. “It was awful!”

Hansol jumps in next. “Well, that means we can only go up from there, right? There’s no way we can do worse.”

“Unless we just abandon the project midway,” Chan agrees. “I say we do it.”

The grin that blooms on Jeonghan’s face could brighten an entire house. “You guys are the best. I love my kids.” He sighs, hugging the notebook to his chest. The affectionate gaze soon morphs into one of resolution, though, as he vows, “I want to cream the competition. We’ll see who’s the last one to laugh when we bring in all the money and attention.” There’s an evil glint gleaming in his eyes, and Wonwoo shakes his head. Always looking for drama.

“You do realize,” Jihoon finally opens his mouth to speak, fingers still playing with Junhui’s hair, “That the pressure is twice as high, right?” Everyone turns to him. “The school will expect it to suck as much as the last one. Not only are we going to need to create something amazing, we’ll have to find a way to convince people to even show up.”

“Very good point!” Soonyoung exclaims. “Word of mouth will probably not be enough.”

“We can think about that later,” Jeonghan says. “First, we need an actual attraction.”

Nods of agreement go around the group, and Seungcheol gets to his feet, gesturing toward the notebook Jeonghan is holding. “Let’s sign up and get started. We’ll have to coordinate our schedules to make sure at least two or three people are on site every time.”

“I’ll go talk to the advisor to get our budget,” Jisoo volunteers. “Let’s try to limit the spending, though. If there’s anything we can borrow or scavenge from the theater department, it’ll be best.” 

“We can look through the props,” Seungkwan volunteers, gesturing toward Seokmin and Soonyoung. “We’re there almost everyday anyway.”

“Great!”

“What else is there to do?” Mingyu wonders. “Oh, and where’s the actual venue?”

“The agriculture department volunteered their barn,” Jeonghan informs him.

Junhui glances behind her to meet Jihoon’s gaze. “Isn’t that in the middle of the field?” When the musician nods, she shudders. “Spooky.”

Snorting, Jihoon chuckles. “That’s kind of the point, dummy.”

“It’ll certainly add to the creepy atmosphere,” she muses. “Way scarier than the gym. What are you gonna do, Jihoonie?”

The latter shrugs. “Probably come up with a few tracks to really set the mood, with disembodied voices and special effects.”

“Oooh!” 

“And I guess just help around with the decorations, make sure we don’t go over budget and save Jisoo from getting his ears chewed out. Again.”

Junhui giggles, looking for her boyfriend at the other end of the table. “Wonwoo~,” she calls, prompting him to look up from the pages of his book.

“Hm?”

She now has both arms perched on Jihoon’s thigh, gazing at Wonwoo expectantly. “You’ve barely said anything throughout the discussion. Aren’t you excited?”

“Not really.”

A small pout forms on full, pink lips. “Why not? It sounds like so much fun.”

Cracking a fond smile, Wonwoo retorts, “You think everything’s fun.”

“Not true! I hate physics.”

The comment causes both Wonwoo and Jihoon to snicker, and she smacks the nearest to her. “It’s not funny. Don’t be mean.” 

“Junnie!” Jeonghan calls, interrupting their conversation. “What do you want to do?” he asks, pen and paper at the ready.

“Decorations!” she exclaims right away, practically vibrating from it. 

That seems to surprise Mingyu as he comments, “Really? You love playing pranks, though. I’d figure you’d want to be one of the people who jumps out at the visitors.”

“Scaring people and seeing them jump is the best feeling,” Minghao comments with a smirk. “I’d totally do it if I didn’t have this stupid brace.”

“The brace isn’t stupid,” Mingyu retorts. “ _You_ were. I told you that spin was risky, but did you listen? Nooo…”

Minghao rolls her eyes. “Seriously, how long are you going to play the ‘I told you so’ card?”

Quite smugly, her boyfriend grins, canines showing. “Until the doctor gives you the okay to take the brace off.”

The boy receives a flick to the forehead.

“Ouch!” he rubs at it, sulking at her. But she merely sticks her tongue out.

“Next, Wonwoo!” Jeonghan calls, walking over to him. “What do you want to do?”

“Nothing,” he replies right away, barely glancing up from his book. “You’ve got more than ten volunteers already. I don’t need to be there.”

The previously happy expression slips off of the senior’s face. “Would it kill you to be a little more social?”

“Yes.”

Jeonghan heaves a sigh and looks heavenward. “Fine. Your choice.” He turns to leave, and Wonwoo almost cheers. Only the blond whirls around almost immediately, bracing his hands on the table to look at Wonwoo. “Just remember that Junnie volunteered,” he whispers, eyes flashing with mischief. And with those last words, he does leave to go talk to Seungcheol and Jisoo about the logistics of their plan.

Blowing out a breath, Wonwoo rubs his face, glimpsing at his girlfriend now across the lawn with the rest of their friends. She’s thrown her head back, laughing at whatever joke the Gag Trio has made. The sound is clear and crisp, as pure as a child’s, and Wonwoo finds himself smiling by reflex. A warmth that has very little to do with the weather spreads across his chest as he continues to gaze at her. A gentle breeze blows through, caressing the purple strands, lifting them around the crown of her hair to catch the streaks of golden light; it's as if nature itself couldn’t keep itself from her beauty. 

Mingyu’s large figure cuts through Wonwoo’s dazed state. The second year picks Minghao by the waist and throws her over his shoulder, disregarding her shrieks of laughter disguised under protests, as he takes off running, catching up to Junhui up ahead, carrying a laughing Hansol on her back. 

_That cannot end well._

No sooner has the thought crossed Wonwoo’s mind that he sees it playing in front of him. Hansol reaches toward the tree that’s been set as the finishing point, but he leans too far, throwing him off-balance. Junhui stops mid-run, trying to catch the younger boy as he starts to topple over. But the momentum is too great, and they both end up rolling across the grass.

Wonwoo jumps to his feet in panic, but at that moment, their laughter echo back toward him, easing his erratic heartbeat. Another sigh escapes his lips as he packs up his belongings and walks toward them at a quick pace. By the time he gets there, Mingyu has let Minghao back down to stand on her own two feet, both of them laughing at the giggling children still laying on their backs on the grass. Eventually, Hansol manages to suppress the fit long enough to sit up and wipe the tears away from his eyes, patting Junhui’s stomach in an attempt to calm the older down. But that seems to make her giggle even more, throwing her arms over her eyes to shield them from the sun. Her hair fans out around her head, a sharp contrast of purples and greens, dotted with small white and yellow wildflowers peeking through the gaps in the strands. 

Seeing him arrive on the scene, Mingyu slaps his shoulder, smile playing on the corner of his mouth as he throws a look toward Junhui. “Couldn’t stay away, could you?” It’s said without malice, just a small joke at Wonwoo’s expense.

Still, Wonwoo pretends to be offended and shoves him away, “Shut up.”

Minghao snickers before jumping on the giant puppy’s back and demanding for a piggyback ride back to her apartment a few buildings over. Mingyu’s only too happy to oblige. Around them, the group of friends start to disperse, each following their own schedules. A few look back toward the remaining couple with an amused and knowing smile.

Not that Wonwoo’s paying attention to them. He approaches Junhui, his shadow casted over her face. Sensing the missing glare, she lowers her arms, small contented smile growing into a full grin, bright and dazzling. Her eyes are sparkling as she gazes at him.

“Hi, stranger,” she greets with a giggle. 

His smile and gaze turn fond. “Hello, beautiful.”

A soft blush paints her skin, and Wonwoo grins wider. “Would you like to keep me company on this fine afternoon, sir?” She pats the spot next to hers.

Wonwoo rolls his eyes, but he lays down on the warm grass, staring up at the cloudless sky, so blue and vast. From the corner of his eye, he sees a flash of purple. Automatically, he opens his arm, and Junhui scoots over, laying her head on his chest. He tucks her under his chin, fingers running through the silky strands. He feels a tickling sensation on his chest, and he glances down past the top of her head to see long fingers drawing patterns on his shirt. It takes a few seconds, but he eventually figures out that she’s writing their names, each stroke slow and deliberate.

As a wave of affection swells, he presses a kiss to her hair. 

She looks up at that, grinning wide. Squinting her eyes cutely, she asks, “Are you sure you don’t want to help with the haunted house?”

He knew it was coming. And he wishes he could have prepared something more witty than, “I don’t want to, but if I’m not there, who’s gonna keep an eye on you?”

Junhui rolls her eyes, but she catches the giggles again. “I can take care of myself, thank you very much.”

“Yes, just like you did with that race against Mingyu.”

“Hey…” she whines, “That wasn’t my fault. Hansolie just overestimated the distance.”

“Still,” he pokes her cheek. “You guys were lucky you’re in the middle of the lawn. If you tripped over something in the barn, you could potentially bring everything down with you.”

She purses her lip, feigning a hurt look, eyes wide and pleading. “Hmph! And here I thought you were afraid I’d hurt myself.”

Wonwoo laughs heartily, bringing her closer with a hand around her waist. “That, too.” 

“So.” She shifts to rest her weight on an elbow, gazing down at him. “Does that mean you’ll come? Even if just to supervise me?”

A grin stretches his lips. He lifts a hand to brush away an errant lock of hair, tucking it back behind her ear. “What do you think?”

Beaming, Junhui replies cheekily, “I think it’s just an excuse, Jeon Wonwoo. I think you want to come because you just love me that much.”

He laughs, and the faint blush returns to her cheeks, forcing her to burrow against the side of his neck. “Well, you wouldn’t exactly be wrong, kitten.”

_______________________________

 

Over the course of the next several weeks, Wonwoo finds himself trekking down to the fields behind the school, passing by the ever so growing amount of pumpkins and ghouls decorating the area. Depending on the day, he’d find different sets of his friends working inside the barn. Mingyu and Minghao had taken the first shift, since apparently they didn’t trust anyone with the cleaning and organization of the things that originally belong inside the barn. They managed to use the boxes and crates to their advantage, pushing them around the room to use as props and dividers for the various rooms that were soon going to be built. It went well for the most part. Mingyu didn’t drop anything breakable, but he did somehow trip over a bale of hay and ended up sporting nice elbow pads for a couple days. Minghao did not fail to laugh at him, before blushing when he said that they now matched: his gauzes and her brace.

After that, the rest of the team came in, and the real remodeling work began. Jisoo must have sweet-talked his way to an unbelievable budget, or used some kind of sorcery on their financial advisor, because Wonwoo cannot believe how much money was allotted to the project. Needless to say, Jeonghan had been ecstatic. Junhui, Soonyoung, Minghao, and Chan were giving an envelope along with a list of necessary items to get at the party supply store, and Mingyu had volunteered to drive them there. It’s debatable whether the second year tagged along because of Minghao, or if he was just that excited about arts and crafts. Maybe both. 

With every day that passed, the somewhat plain and boring barn began to look more and more like a believable attraction. Even Wonwoo had to admit that it was moderately spooky once twilight settled in. And Jihoon’s creepy soundtrack playing on loop in the background certainly helped set the atmosphere.

 

It’s a week until the festival. Wonwoo is sitting against the wall, book resting on the bale of hay in front of him. He’s been here since early afternoon, attention alternating between his homework and Junhui balancing herself on a ladder, trying to hook up fake spiders, while Soonyoung gives her direction, one foot on the bottom step to keep it steady, while he holds the box and passes each plastic toy to her. Watching the two spazz balls, expecting trouble to fall into their lap at any second, might have given Wonwoo more anxiety than any potential ghost. Thankfully, things turned out for the better, and they had moved on to painting. Or they should have, if Soonyoung would show up with the paint.

“You don’t think he got lost, do you?” Junhui wonders as she sits on the edge of the bale. Her hands fidget restlessly in her lap, head turned toward the open door. “It’s starting to get dark.”

Wonwoo reaches over and squeezes her thigh. “He probably just saw Seungkwan or Seokmin on the way and got caught talking. I wouldn’t worry about him too much, kitten.”

“He’s been gone for a really long time, though,” she muses, teeth worrying her bottom lip. “I tried calling him, but I don’t have reception here.”

That’s a surprise. They’d been talking on the phone just yesterday, with Junhui asking him to bring her some extra tape. Wonwoo retrieves his phone to check. Sure enough, there’s no bar. His brows furrow. “Weird. Mine’s not working, either.”

At that moment, a draft glides through the empty building, raising the hairs at the back of their necks. Junhui shivers, rubbing her hands up and down her thin sleeves. The wind causes the fake cobwebs to stir and float in mid-air; the dangling chains cling together rhythmically. Neither of those occurrences should be unfamiliar. They’ve all seen and heard it before. And yet at this moment, it sounds strangely hallow. Eerie. 

Warm fingers surround his, and he looks away from the moving decorations to see Junhui gripping his hand. But her eyes are still fixed on the walls, the dim lights casting shadows across her features. Wonwoo slips his fingers through the gaps to give a few reassuring squeezes, gaining her attention. When she turns to him, face marred with trepidation, he offers a small smile.

“It was just the wind,” he says. “You know that, right?”

She nods; however, her body language says otherwise. Slight trembles rack her frame, but he’s not sure if it’s from the cooler evening air or the sudden creepy atmosphere. No matter the cause, he strips off his hoodie and pulls it over her head. 

“Thanks,” Junhui murmurs as Wonwoo brushes the purple strands away from her face, lifting the hood over her head, just the way she likes it. He knows she feels safer that way, nestled in the oversized clothes. “But aren’t you going to be cold now?”

Smiling, he pulls her to his chest, and their arms naturally come to wrap around each other’s waist. “You can keep me warm, kitten.”

She giggles into the crook of his neck, muscles finally relaxing from their tense posture. Junhui sways them back and forth for a few seconds, humming a song Wonwoo recognizes from Jihoon’s collection of ballads.

“I’m still kind of worried about Soonyoung, though,” she murmurs against his skin. “He doesn’t do very well in the dark.”

Wonwoo snorts, but agrees that his absence is worrisome. “Let’s close up and go look for him. We should get reception once we’re back on campus.”

Junhui has just nodded and opened her mouth to reply, when a gust of wind hurls past them and slams the door shut. She jumps a good few inches in the air, a yelp falling out of her lips. The couple whip toward the front of the barn, its walls rattled from the force of the collision. 

Hearts still drumming noisily, they get no reprieve. The overhead lights begin to flicker. Then everything goes dark.

Junhui’s breath hitches as a squeak echoes, her hands fisting into the front of Wonwoo’s shirt. “Are you going to tell me the wind turned off the lights, too?” she hisses, clinging to him in desperation. “What if the barn really _is_ haunted?” 

He can hear the fear swallowing her voice, and he rubs her back in large strokes, the other hand pulling his phone out. “Relax, kitten. There has to be a logical explanation.”

“The ghosts did it,” she whispers, voice tiny. 

Shaking his head, Wonwoo rolls his eyes. “You’ve been watching too many horror movies this month.”

Junhui scoffs, poking his ribs. “I wonder whose fault that is.”

He laughs, flashing the light around them. Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. “Come on.” He interlaces their fingers and leads the way to the switch. He flips it. Nothing. He tries it again. Nothing but darkness. The trembles start again, and Junhui’s free hand comes to tug on his sleeve.

“See! I told you!”

“Oh, hush. There is no ghost.”

“Don’t taunt them!”

Rolling his eyes once more, he heads for the door. “Let’s just get out of here first. We’ll figure out the electrical issues in the daytime.”

“We have to find Soonyoung, too,” she reminds him.

“Right. He better not have fallen asleep in the lounge.” 

“That’s more like Hannie’s thing, though,” Junhui replies, and Wonwoo laughs, glad to have at least distracted her from the ‘ghosts’.

In front of the door, he hands her the phone so he can use both hands to heave the heavy wood panel open.

Only it doesn’t budge. 

“What’s wrong?”

Wonwoo puts more weight on the handle, but it makes no difference. “It’s stuck.”

“What?” Immediately, Junhui comes to add her own weight, shoving her shoulder against the door. 

It makes so little difference, they might as well have been trying to move a wall. 

“Could something be blocking it from the outside?” she wonders, backing away. “It makes no sense for it to be locked.”

“It’s not locked,” Wonwoo confirms, easily able to move the handle. “I think you’re right. Something’s blocking it.” He sees her attempt to comment, and he cuts her off. “The wind must have knocked one of the crates. There’s no evidence of a haunting.”

A pout forms on her lips, grumbling, “You don’t know that for sure, Mr. Skeptic.” 

He pokes her forehead. “Once we’re outside, I’ll prove it to you.” 

“Hmm.” Now that she seems somewhat more calm, Junhui scans the room with the flashlight. “I can try to fit through the window,” she suggests. “I’ll just need some help reaching it to remove the black curtains.” 

Wonwoo follows the the beam of light with his eyes to rest on the glass panes. It’s worth a try. “Alright.” 

Junhui sets the phone against the floor in a way that it would cast enough light in their direction to avoid tripping over the various props. Then they each pick up a bale of hay and stack them on top of each other as a makeshift stepladder. Junhui grabs onto Wonwoo’s hand and shoulder as she climbs over them, carefully removing the pins holding the dark fabric to reveal the glass, allowing the dim glow from the lamp posts outside to spill inside. Now they can somewhat see their surrounding. 

After Junhui has folded up the cloth and dropped it at her feet, she reaches for the latch on the window. At that moment, something dark and furry crashes against the glass from the outside. She shrieks, jumping back.

“Whoa!” Wonwoo lunges forward to catch her, but the momentum sends both them onto the floor. 

“Oh my god, I am so sorry!” She scurries to a sitting position, lifting her weight off of him. “Are you hurt?” 

Wonwoo shakes his head, but a groan escapes as he sits up as well. “I’m fine. Are you?”

She leans forward, hands patting and feeling for bumps around his head. “No, thanks to you,” she murmurs. “I don’t feel anything. Did you hit your head?”

Once more, he shakes his head, bending toward her touch. “It was more shocking than painful,” he says, forehead resting on her chest. He shifts her so she’s straddling his lap, his arms coming around to the small of her back. “What the hell was that, anyway?”

“I don’t know,” she replies, looking over her shoulder. She does a little scanning, and picks up the furry thing. It’s a wig. “What in the world?”

Wonwoo arches a brow as he examines the prop. He’s just about to pose some more questions when they hear indistinct voices and laughter through the open window. The couple share a look, slowly and quietly crawling toward the opening. They keep themselves hidden as they peek. 

“Think that was enough?” a guy asks. He doesn’t sound familiar at all.

With effort, Wonwoo strains, and he can sort of see three figures standing around the corner. They’re mostly bathed in shadows; however, thanks to the moonlight, he can make out two brunettes and a blond, medium built. Something shiny catches the light, so one of them must be wearing jewelry. But more importantly, who the hell are they, and what do they want?

“Well, you heard her scream,” another sneers. “Bitch is a fucking dumbass.”

Wonwoo sees red. He lunges for it, but Junhui grabs his arm and yanks him back, hand clasped over his mouth. She motions for him to be quiet, large eyes pleading. Hot anger burns through his chest, fists itching to pummel those ugly mugs. Junhui keeps her hand around his forearm, but she does lower the one clasped over his mouth once he nods that he’ll stay put. She flashes a small smile, before returning to spying on those fuckers. 

The smell of cigarette smoke drifts through the air, and Wonwoo hates them even more. They start walking a few paces, apparently eyeing the barn. Thanks to that, Wonwoo manages to read _Tree of Heaven_ on the back of the blond’s hoodie.  

“We should’ve showed up earlier, though,” the third guy says regretfully, flicking the cigarette. “Before most of them left.”

“No, this is better,” the first one replies. “We’d probably get caught with that many of them around, anyway.”

The second bastard snorts. “Don’t tell me you’re actually scared of them.” A dull slap. “What the fuck? What’d you hit me for?”

“Shut up!”

“If we’re caught, then we can’t drive them away from the project, dumbass!”

Is that the reason for this stupid prank? To sabotage the attraction? Well, they’re surely more stupid than Wonwoo originally gave them credit for.

A low buzzing sound next to him makes Wonwoo glance over. Junhui pulls her phone out, face illuminated by the light as her eyes widen.

“I have reception again!” she whisper shouts. “Check yours.”

Indeed, Wonwoo’s phone shows full bars. Not giving it much thought on how or why, he quickly types out a message to the group chat. He gets a reply from Seungcheol and Jeonghan a few seconds later, assuring him they’re on their way. Soonyoung’s response comes after,  _‘Sorry dudes. Been trying to convince Prof. C to let us borrow the lab skeletons. She did not approve. I’m still stuck in her office :C’_

“At least we know he’s okay,” Junhui whispers after reading. “I was afraid he’d ran into those jerks.”

Wonwoo hums, turning back to the window. If only he had a clean shot of them, he’d be happy to just throw rocks at their heads. Maybe it’ll knock some senses into them.

“It’s been really quiet in there,” one of them comments. 

A beat.

Junhui’s hand twitches.

The couple share a disquiet look. Junhui worries her lip. 

“Think they could be fucking?” _Slap!_ “God fucking damn it! What the hell was that for?!”

“Stop spewing shit!”

“You saw her! She’s hot, what’s wrong with that?!”

A low growl rips out of Wonwoo’s throat. If Seungcheol and Jeonghan don’t show up soon, he’s going to jump through the window and smash heads with his bare fists. Next to him, Junhui finds his hand in the dark, lacing their fingers together and tugging him toward her, undoubtedly sensing the fury radiating out of him. She squeezes their hands intermittently, smiling shyly at him. Not trusting his own self-control, he takes her into his arms, tucking her against his chest. 

He breathes in the smell of her shampoo and perfume, something light and floral, reminding him of sunshine and flower fields. Instantly, as if by magic, his frayed nerves relax, and he sags slightly against her. Junhui’s always had that effect on him. Idly—blame it on the season and upcoming holiday — he wonders if she couldn’t be a witch.

The quiet moment is interrupted by several beams of lights and hurried footsteps pounding on the dirt roads, displacing the gravel. 

“There’s no loitering around here!” a booming voice yells out, followed by heavy boots and jingles of keys.

“Shit!”

“Run!”

A flurry of movements happen at once. Campus security gives chase after the three bastards, shouts from all parties echoing through the evening air. The beams from the flashlights sweep across the field, trailing behind the panicked screams and orders to stop. 

“Junnie! Wonwoo!” Jeonghan calls, jolting the pair to look toward the front door. “Are you guys okay?”

“We’re fine!” Junhui replies.

“What the hell?” Seungcheol exclaims, seemingly directed at whatever object blocked the door. 

The senior heaves a sigh and lets lose a string of muttered expletives, which get muffled by something heavy being slid across the ground. Soon after, the door bursts open, and more flashlights appear. Wonwoo squints at the glare, putting a hand up. The two rescuers bound inside, eyes locked on the pair. 

“Thanks for coming,” Wonwoo says, walking out with Junhui.

“Of course. Don’t even mention it,” Seungcheol says, but shakes his head, glancing at the blacked out lights. “Can’t believe those kids.”

“Did you see what they looked like?” Jeonghan wanders, brushing Junhui's hair back into place. 

“Two brunets and a blond,” Wonwoo answers, grabbing his and Junhui’s belongings. “One of them had a hoodie with _Tree of Heaven_  in the back.”

Junhui adds in, “And I guess they wanted to ruin our project.”

Jeonghan lets out a groan, following them out and locking the door. “That’s the club that was in charge of last year’s haunted house. What a bunch of juvenile delinquents.” 

“You need to tell the school,” Seungcheol says. “They might stay away for a few days, but there’s no telling what they could pull next.”

Another annoyed groan spills from Jeonghan’s mouth, but he agrees. “I know. I have an 8am tomorrow. I’ll swing by the office first.”

The four of them make their way back to their respective buildings, discussing the events as they go. The couple wave goodbye to the seniors, and Wonwoo goes up to Junhui’s apartment. 

“Don’t you have an early class tomorrow, too?” she wonders, inserting the keycard into the slot.

“Yeah, but I can just leave from here,” he answers, following after her and slipping off his shoes. “It’s closer to York Hall anyway.”

Nodding, she turns to him with mischief dancing on her lips. “So it's about a few extra minutes of sleep. And here I thought you wanted to spend more time with me after such a terrible haunting.” To add flair, she makes her voice sound spooky, waving her fingers around.

Wonwoo laughs at the theatrics. “What haunting? Like I said, there was a perfectly good and logical explanation. Just a bunch of troublemakers.”

“But they couldn’t have summoned those gusts of winds!” she points out, evidently proud of herself. “Or messed with the cell reception, either.” 

“Coincidences,” he shrugs. 

Squinting, she eyes him, but there’s no real anger there. “You just don’t want to admit that I could be right.” Mirth lights up her eyes as she adds cheekily, “For all I know, you got spooked and didn’t want to be alone in your room tonight. Aww!” She pats his cheeks, cooing, “Won-won is so cute!” 

He smirks, seeing an opening. He backs her up against the wall. “So you think I’m just making excuses?” 

Her arms come around his neck automatically. Junhui smiles at him sweetly and without reservation, expression bright, large eyes sparkling. “Mhm!” That fluttery feeling resurfaces again, making Wonwoo's stomach drop, yet giving him the feeling of soaring in the air just by staring at her. 

“Maybe extra sleep really is just an excuse,” he allows, stepping closer to ghost his lips across hers. She really did give him too many opportunities to tease her without even trying. 

Junhui lets out a soft sigh. “Mm. You’ve been making a lot of excuses, Jeon Wonwoo.”

He chuckles, the sound low in his throat. She reacts the exact way he predicts, small shiver racing through her body. Grin stretching wider, he nuzzles against her neck. “As long as it gets me what I want.”

By now, her cheeks are tainted pink. Junhui lifts her gaze, looking at him from beneath her lashes, bottom lip caught between her teeth. The sight unravels Wonwoo, and it takes all of his self-control not to crash their lips together. He resorts to stroking her warm cheek with the back of his fingers, watching the blush intensifying and her gaze to turn more sheepish.

“You don’t play fair,” she whines with a pout, causing him to crack a smile.

“Well, neither do you, kitten.”

The comment takes her by surprise, clearly reflected in the depth of her eyes as she tilts her head. “What do you mean?” 

That warm and bubbly feeling spread across his chest. “Ever since we met, whenever we’re together…” A breathy laugh. He cradles Junhui’s face, thumb running over the full bottom lip. “It always feels like my entire being revolves around you. I don’t feel at peace until you’re within my sight. There’s hardly anything I can bring myself to refuse you. It’s like… It’s like you’ve put me under a spell or something.”

Junhui shakes her head a tiny fraction, eyes darting to the floor in shyness. Her cheeks flushed, she brings herself to find some way to dispel the embarrassment, “You’re so cheesy.” But even so, the grip around his neck tightens, and that dazzling smile tells no lie.

He grins, nuzzling against her neck again, breath fanning across the golden skin. “But you love it.” Kissing the spot, he relishes in the small sigh spilling from the rosy lips.

“No.” She threads her fingers through the hair at the back of his head. “I love _you_.”

A surge of pleasure shoots through his body, from his toes to his fingertips. “See?” He places a kiss on the corner of her mouth. “I told you you weren’t playing fair, kitten.”

Whatever Junhui plans on saying in retort is swept away by a series of moans and sighs as Wonwoo finally tastes her lips, swiping his tongue over them to coax her to open for him. He tangles their tongues together, drinking from her like a parched man in the desert. No matter how many times he kisses Junhui, he doesn’t think it’ll ever be enough to satisfy him. Not when she tastes like heaven, body warm and soft pressed against his.

Wonwoo doesn’t let Junhui go until she’s panting in his mouth. He releases her lips, only to sprinkle soft kisses down her neck and around her jaw. Through the fabric of her shirts and his hoodie, he feels the erratic beating of her heart, echoing his.

“Something tells me,” she rasps, head falling back against the wall, exposing her neck for him to kiss and lick, “Something tells me that neither one of us is going to get much sleep tonight.”

He smirks, switching to the other side of her throat. “And something tells me you’d be right, kitten.”

_______________________________

 

“This is a disaster!” Jeonghan laments, running a hand through his hair. His usually charming and charismatic demeanor is clouded by stress and frustration as he grips the clipboard. 

“Isn’t it a little premature to condemn the whole project as a failure?” Jisoo asks. “We’ve only opened an hour ago.”

“Tell that to the butler café,” Jeonghan mutters. “The line wraps around the building all the way to Peterson Hall. And we have…” He turns to face the barn, opening his arms wide, “ _No one!"_

Soonyoung stretches his arms and swings them back and forth, making the tattered sleeves of his zombie costume flap in the wind. “It’s probably because everyone expects it to suck, so they’d rather skip it.”

“But we made sure to advertise, though!” Seungkwan exclaims. As he fixes the collar of his shirt, he takes a second to study the fake blood stains on his chest, then adds, “How can people not even be the least bit curious?”

Seokmin sits down on the grass, leaning back against his hands as he scowls from the sunlight. “What if they don’t know where to find us? I mean, it was in the gym last year, right in the center of campus. We’re in the middle of the agriculture fields.”

“Good point.” Seungkwan stares at his friend. “Why is your hair still black?” he asks. “Didn’t you get the powder?”

Glancing upward, the other grins apologetically. “Oh, oops.”

“I’ll get it,” Mingyu volunteers. “Might as well take the time to touch-up all of our makeup.”

“What’s the point if no one’s gonna show up?” Jihoon mumbles under his breath, earning a look from Jeonghan. He merely shrugs. “Glare all you want. We need an actual solution, not theories as to why no one’s here.”

Murmured agreements resound around the group. “Where’s Seungcheol anyway?” Chan wonders after having done a headcount. “Isn’t he supposed to be part of the scare team, too?”

Soonyoung nods. “Yeah, the other zombie. But I think he said he was dropping by the lounge to grab some extra water for our throats.”

“Seungcheol’s always so thoughtful and caring of us,” Junhui muses as she sits on a bale of hay, hugging a pumpkin in her lap. “Wait, did he go alone?” Another headcount is done. “Hansolie’s missing.”

“He’s probably just late,” Seungkwan comments. “As always.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be the one responsible for him?” Minghao asks, fixing the cobwebs adorning the door. “You guys share the same dorm.”

“I’m not his mom!” the younger retorts. 

Mingyu returns from the back, carrying the makeup kit. “Alright, guys. Line up.” 

As the scare team, minus Seungcheol and Hansol, walk over and form a queue, Minghao leaves the front steps to rummage through the kit and get started on squirting fresh ‘blood’ around Seungkwan’s neck and Chan’s arms. 

Wonwoo feels a weight on his side, and he glances over to see a crown of purple hair settle on his shoulder. Junhui squeezes his knee, then taps out a foreign rhythm over the jeans. For the day, the two of them were tasked to collect tickets at the door. Needless to say, they haven’t done much since arriving. At least they weren’t in costume like the rest of their friends, so they didn’t have to be as careful with their movements. The way Junhui’s rubbing her cheek against his shirt would have earned her a scolding from both Mingyu and Jeonghan for ruining the makeup. 

Quiet chatter fill the silence as Mingyu works quickly, and Jeonghan paces, crease forming between his brows as he thinks of something to do to salvage their project. Even though Wonwoo didn’t exactly work on it, he’s been there for practically every step of the remodeling. He knows how hard everyone worked, and it would certainly be a shame if no one came to witness it, to give their effort some meaning and purpose.

It’s at that moment that Seungcheol arrives on the scene, closely followed by Hansol. The both of them are carrying a case of water each, steps hurried. Neither are in costume, though, and Mingyu clicks his tongue as he shakes his head. Still, he leaves Soonyoung’s makeup half done to go and help with the water.

“Why aren’t you dressed yet?” he complains. “I still need to do your makeup, too.”

“I’ll get to it in a minute,” the senior says, “That’s not as important as discovering the secret to success.”

“What are you talking about?” Jisoo wonders.

Jeonghan stops pacing to listen. 

“On the way to get the water, I found Hansol staring off into space.”

“That’s nothing unusual,” Soonyoung retorts, standing still for Minghao to add a layer of white paint around his chin where it rubbed off. 

“I wasn’t staring into space this time, though,” Hansol argues. “There was a fight between one of the maids and butters. They were both in costumes, that’s why it was funny.”

“So you’re late because you watched some randos in costumes fight?” Seungkwan asks. 

“No, you don’t get it,” Seungcheol interrupts. “That’s why those other clubs caught so many people’s attention. They have a representative in these outrageous outfits, walking around campus, handing out flyers and free stuff, and telling people to go check out their project. We don’t have anyone, and we’re losing to the competition.”

“That’s it!” Jeonghan cheers, the familiar smile finally making its way back to his face. “There’s plenty of candy. Whoever goes can just give those out. Who doesn’t love candy?”

Jihoon considers it and nods. “So who do we send?”

“Hm.” The senior taps his chin thoughtfully as he studies the group of friends. “We need someone who can attract attention easily.”

“Best if it’s someone not part of the scaring team,” Seungcheol suggests from the back with Hansol, both quickly changing. 

Seokmin looks from Seungcheol to the rest of them. “Why not? Wouldn’t it save time since we’re already dressed and made-up?”

“If one of us goes,” Jisoo explains, “Then someone will have to take our place in the house. They’ll have to learn the tricks in order not to trip and give themselves away.”

“Ohhh… Good thinking.” He grins, making Jisoo smile warmly.

Soonyoung looks behind him. “Junnie’s free, isn’t she?”

A jolt goes through Wonwoo the moment Junhui lifts her head from his shoulder. She stops playing with his fingers. “Oh, yeah! I can do it! It’s just walking around and advertising, right?”

“Yeah,” Seungcheol says as he walks out wearing a similar tattered outfit as Soonyoung. “And look pretty.”

“I’m always pretty,” she replies with a giggle, making everyone groan, but look on fondly despite it. Her bright expression dims slightly as she chews on her lip. “But I don’t have a costume, though.”

“There’s a few extras in the back,” Mingyu offers helpfully. “Since we just grabbed whatever the theater department had on hand. Let me go grab them.” 

“Wonderful!” Jeonghan exclaims. While Mingyu is gone, the senior grabs one of plastic cauldrons decorating the outside of the barn and dumps a bag of candy inside. He hands it to Junhui, along with a stack of flyers. 

Junhui nods along as she looks through the cauldron. Wonwoo has an urge to remind her it’s for the visitors, not herself. But as if sensing what he’s about to say, she glimpses up at him and sticks her tongue out. He pokes her forehead.

“Here!” Mingyu returns. “Take a look!”

The group crowds around the plastic container. Jeonghan pulls each outfit out, but barely offers them a passing glance, before dismissing them. “Nope. Not eye-catching enough. Next. This is ugly. No. _No..._ ” He throws all of them over his shoulder, forcing poor Jisoo to catch them before they land on the ground. 

It’s not until he reaches the bottom of the bin that he pauses. From the size of it, Wonwoo guess it’s either a scarf someone’s thrown in, or a piece from another costume. Looks like Jeonghan will have to reconsider one of the previous outfits he’d deemed not good en—

“Perfect!” the senior exclaims, holding the black piece of cloth out. “You’ll be a witch!”

“Oooh!” Junhui steps forward, eyes shining with excitement. “That is so cute!”

Before she can take it from the senior though, Wonwoo regains his senses and snatches it away. “Have you gone insane?” he demands, glaring at the piece of fabric in his hands. He tries to stretch it out, but—“This isn’t a dress! There’s hardly any cloth to cover anything, much less a whole person!”

“Oh, relax.” Jeonghan swats his arm and retrieves the costume back. “We need someone who can attract attention. Junnie’s cute. Once she wears this, she’ll be irresistible.” 

“NO!” he insists firmly. “I refuse to let my girlfriend prance around in _that_.” It does not qualify as a dress. Unless its target is a doll. 

Jeonghan rolls his eyes. “So you want us to make no profit at all today? For all of our efforts to go to waste and get ridiculed? With the advisors probably talking our ears off for misusing their money?”

Eyes cutting sharply at the senior, Wonwoo crosses his arms. He hates how the older can manage to guilt-trip just about anyone. And he hates it even more knowing that the schemer _is aware_ it’s getting to him. “Why can’t Minghao do it? She’s not on the scaring team, either.”

“My ankle’s not healed yet,” she replies, for once perhaps thankful to the injury. 

“And you can’t have a witch just hobble around,” Mingyu adds, arm lifting to rest on his girlfriend’s shoulder. He’s grinning too widely, too happy to see Wonwoo seethe. 

The latter decides he hates them all. 

Mingyu sighs and waves his arm. “Just let Jun wear it. It’s not even that bad.”

“Are you trying to tell me you wouldn’t feel unsettled if Minghao were to wear it and walk around campus?”

The mirth slips right off of the second year's face. He mumbles something that Wonwoo interprets as admitting defeat.

He’s still wearing a bitter expression, eyeing the hateful ‘costume’ with distaste. Internally, a battle rages on between guilt and protectiveness. He racks his brain, trying to find a middle ground that wouldn’t doom their project and still keep Junhui from wearing the thing. A gentle nudge prompts him to look over.

Junhui smiles at him. “Let’s just give it a try. If it doesn’t work, then I’ll go change,” she says, voice soft. “Besides, you heard Hannie. There’s literally no one else.” 

A sigh leaves his mouth, stomach churning at the thought. “That skirt is…” He holds it up. Not only is it short, there’s a slit going up one thigh. Junhui wouldn’t even be able to sit without potentially flashing everyone, and considering how oblivious she is, that is bound to happen. He glances from the outfit to her body a few times, trying to visualize it. He suddenly feels very warm. If just picturing her wearing it makes him lightheaded, he can’t even begin imagine how much worse it’d be in actuality. 

“You could accompany her,” Jeonghan suggests, “If you’re that scared that she’ll be snatched away.” He laughs, watching Junhui’s eyes light up, wide and excited grin blooming across her lips.

“Yeah! Come with me, Wonwoo!” She shakes his arm, then takes his hand into both of hers. “Please?” Her hands are warm and soft, and he groans.

Across from them, Jeonghan’s smirking, knowing exactly what’s going through Wonwoo’s mind, how difficult it was for him to refuse Junhui when she gazed at him that way. 

“Fine,” he mutters.

“Yay!” Junhui jumps up and down, jolting him, as she high-fives the senior. 

Wonwoo pinches the bridge of his nose with his free hand, feeling a headache coming along. “One hour. That’s it.”

“Thank you!” Junhui wraps her arms around his neck to press a kiss to his cheek. “You’re the best~” she sing-songs, grabbing the black dress, and prances off to the bathroom.

All around, their friends snicker. He glares at them. 

“Dude,” Soonyoung slaps his shoulder. “You are so whipped.”

He shoves his best friend’s face away. “Shut up!”

“Hey!” Minghao yells out. “Don’t mess up his makeup!”

Wonwoo rolls his eyes, stubbornly refusing to apologize.

Proving himself to be a decent human being, Seungcheol offers him a pat and says, “Don’t worry too much. There’s much more revealing outfits on campus, and they’re doing just fine.”

“But it’s _Junnie_ ,” he emphasizes. “You know how oblivious and… overly-friendly she can be.” Even to this day, he sometimes finds himself having trouble controlling his temper whenever Junhui hangs out with their friends. He knows neither party means anything, and that’s reassuring. But it’s never pleasant seeing your girlfriend draped all over your guy friends, laughing into their necks, or cuddling next to them. 

“What if someone takes it the wrong way?”

“That’s why you’ll be with her,” Jisoo comments. “To make sure it doesn’t happen.”

Wonwoo sighs, rubbing his face. Why did he have such a troublesome kitten?

“Junnie’s pretty,” Seungkwan remarks as he takes a water bottle from Hansol. “But you can’t keep her locked up in a tower forever, you know.”

“Thanks for the advice,” Wonwoo replies without an ounce of life.

One by one, the group slowly disperses. Some grab snacks, while others return to their stations inside the barn.

A couple minutes later, Junhui comes out, head bowed, sheepishly glancing at Wonwoo. He has to do a double take, before freezing in his tracks. At least he was right about one thing, he manages to think through muddled fog: the skirt is ridiculously short. With every step she makes, more of that golden skin is displayed. The length—or a lack thereof—of the dress makes her legs look even longer than they are. It takes a lot from him to tear his gaze away. The fidgeting of her hands draws his attention to her torso, where the silk hugs the contour of her body, all the curves and slender muscles highlighted. Add to that the shyness and rosy cheeks, and he groans. He can’t decide what he wants more: to cover her up or strip her bare.

Jeonghan’s whistling in appreciation snaps Wonwoo out of the daze. “Well, don’t you just look adorable?” the senior drawls. “Just one more detail.” He unclips the tiny witch’s hat from the garland decorating the table and attaches it to Junhui’s hair. “There you go! Perfect!” He grins. 

Junhui similes back, still blushing furiously. “Thank you.” Then she turns to Wonwoo, expression so innocent and bright, he chokes up. “So what do you think?” 

“Uh…” 

At that moment, Soonyoung comes out from the haunted house. He stops dead in his tracts, eyes bulging upon seeing his friend. “Damn! You look…” He blinks, hand coming up to rub at his eyes. 

Somewhere to the side, Minghao and Mingyu both cry out and yell at him about the ruined makeup, but the zombie is still too stupefied to react to them.

“Wow!” 

Shy, Junhui shuffles, cheeks tainted pink. A sheepish laugh bubbles out of her lips. “Thanks, Soonyoung.”

He approaches on unsure feet, as if not quite believing it’s really Junhui. Wonwoo supposes he can understand. She’s never worn anything near this revealing; her style centering on jeans and oversized hoodies most of the time. 

“Are you really going to walk around campus dressed like that?” their fellow 96-liner wonders, throwing a look toward Wonwoo. “I can’t believe you’re actually okay with this.” 

“It’s not like I have a choice,” Wonwoo mutters, tugging Junhui’s wrist until she stand behind him. “Now stop staring at her.”

“I wasn’t!” the other boy insists. “I was just…” His eyes dart around. “…Admiring the costume!”

“Oh, really. Well, if you like it so much, perhaps you should be the one wearing!”

Panic flashes across Soonyoung’s face at the suggestion. “No! Uh, I mean, have you see Junnie?” He looks around, hands out waving in front of him. “I suddenly can’t see anything.” Dramatically covering his eyes, he makes a beeline toward his station. 

Junhui lets out a giggle, arms coming to circle Wonwoo’s waist. She pokes her head to the side, and he looks over to meet her gaze. She grins. “You’re so silly. It’s just Soonyoung.”

“So?” He arches a brow. “He’s a guy. He was practically drooling.” 

His response earns him an eye roll. She pats his stomach. “Come on, Won-won. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

And so, with reluctance on his part, they set off with Wonwoo keeping a tight hold on Junhui’s hand to limit the chances of her running off. They make their rounds, aiming for the higher populated areas. They run into numerous club members, also in costume, distributing flyers and free stuff. However, the moment they step into the crowd, heads start to turn. It’s baffling, really, how fast a crowd forms around them. Mostly comprised of males. 

With that many people, Junhui soon gets overwhelmed. She hands Wonwoo half of the flyers, and he stands a couple feet away to cover more grounds. His movements are set on auto-pilot, handing out flyer after flyer, mouth moving to form the words to guide people to their attraction. Even so, the majority of his brain function is directed toward his girlfriend, making sure she’s not being swallowed up whole. 

For the most part, the guys are nice and respectful. Of course they stare at her; it’d be harder not to. But they keep a good distance, accepting the gifts and brochure with enamored smile. Wonwoo almost allows himself to think they’ll make it through the hour without issues. Until he catches a guy at the side leering at her, slowly pushing his way to the front as she’s busy talking to a group of freshmen about how to get to the fields. Wonwoo’s brows furrow. The creep is standing too close, eyes staring directly at her chest. Wonwoo can’t see his hands, and that alarming thought drives him to action.

He excuses himself from the people he's in the middle of speaking to, and shoves a flyer in front of the creep’s face. “Come visit the haunted house! You’ll be scared out of your mind.”

The guy jerks back, hands flying in the air. There’s a tiny pair of scissors in his hold. 

Chills shoot down Wonwoo’s spine. Regardless of what the guy planned on cutting, it couldn’t have been considered sane. Wonwoo’s face hardens. “Get out of here before I personally ensure you become the school first ghost.”

Paling, the perp nods, stashing the scissors into his pocket and slinking away. 

Junhui’s bubbling laugh snaps Wonwoo’s attention away from the guy’s retreating back. His girlfriend is handing out candy to the freshmen and wishing them a good time, completely clueless to what happened less than a foot away from her. Wonwoo shakes his head and sighs. 

_How can you make an hour pass faster?_

Fifty-five minutes later, Wonwoo is ready to grab Junhui and go home. He’s exhausted, both physically and mentally. Fortunately, there hasn’t been a repeat of that freak with the scissors, but some people had asked for pictures, and Wonwoo nearly had a heart attack. The crowd around them has thinned out, somewhat, though, and that’s allowing somewhat of a breathing break. _Just five more minutes_. 

Distracted by a text from Jeonghan showing him a huge line forming outside of the barn, he doesn’t see the next group approaching. It’s their voices that makes him spin around.

“So will you be there, too?” a guy with dark hair asks, eyes flickering from the brochure Junhui’s just given him to her face. His grin makes Wonwoo’s skin crawl from disgust. 

“Hm?” Junhui hands him a candy bar. “Oh, yeah. I’m not going to be inside, though,” she replies with a friendly smile, already turning to the next person. 

But he adds, “Really? That’s too bad. I wouldn’t mind being alone in the dark with you, babe.”

“Oh!” Flushing bright red, Junhui averts her gaze. “Um, I… uh.” 

Before she finish her thoughts, another sleaze-ball jumps in. “So you’re supposed to be a witch right?”

Relief washes over her, naively thanking the safer topic. She nods, smile slowly returning. “Yep!”

“Maybe you’d like to take a ride on my broom some time.”

A squeak escapes her, hand clasping over her mouth as her cheeks flush a deep crimson. 

Wonwoo acts before he can think. An easy stride is all it takes to pull her behind him and effectively force the perverts back a few steps in shock. “Back off.” His voice is calm, but deep and heavy with the promise of something much worse than a verbal warning. The first guy retreats immediately, but the second stands his ground. He leers at the pair.

“Or what?” he taunts, grinning obnoxiously. He moves forward, shoving Wonwoo's shoulder forcefully. 

But Wonwoo reacts faster than the attacker anticipates, grabbing his arm in the same second, and twisting it behind his back. He  slams the guy against the nearest lamp post. 

“Arghh!” The brunet struggles against the restraint, prompting Wonwoo to slam his face against the cold metal once more. 

“What part of ‘back off’ did you not understand, asshole?” Wonwoo growls out. 

The other guy cries in pain as his arm gets twisted even further. “Okay, okay! I'm sorry! Stop before you break off my arm, man!”

With a last shove, Wonwoo releases him. The force sends him stumbling, but he doesn’t quite fall to the ground. A shame. Wincing, he stretches and rotates his arm, pain pinching his face. He glares back at the couple, but refrains from doing anything else but slink away.

“Are you okay?” Junhui’s soft voice reaches him.

Wonwoo turns around to see her wearing an anxious expression, arms folded over his chest, shoulders curled inward. She suddenly looks so small and fragile, a wave of relief and affection wells up within him. 

“I’m fine, kitten.” He takes her hand and squeezes. “What about you?” She shakes her head, indicating she’s unharmed. He nods, tucking her to his side. “Time’s up. We’re going back.” He takes what’s left of the flyers and throws the stack on the low wall, putting a rock on top to keep them from flying off. 

Afterward, as they return toward the haunted house, Wonwoo’s arm swung protectively around Junhui’s neck, she thanks him.

“That was kind of scary,” she murmurs.

“Kind of?” he repeats with an arched brow. “It _was_ scary. I nearly had a heart attack. Imagine what would have happened if you had gone alone. You’re too careless for your own good.” 

Junhui shrinks back, leaning her weight against his side. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think it’d be that bad. All I thought about was how much work the guys put into the attraction. They deserve to have everyone know about it and appreciate them.” 

Wonwoo sighs, rubbing her bare arm with his hand. “I know, kitten.” He drops a kiss to her hair. “But you really need to be more aware of your surrounding and gauge people’s intentions.” Looking at her, he asks, “Do you realize how close I was to start a fight?”

Cheekily, she squints her eyes at him. “Well, you sort of did.” A giggle and a poke to his cheek. “Have you ever been in a fight, Jeon Wonwoo?”

He scoffs and returns the poke to her side, making her squeal. “Enough of them, yes. And before you ask,” he interrupts, spotting the mischief reflecting in her eyes, “I’ve never lost, either.”

“Wow,” she giggles, squishing his bicep. “How impressive.” 

He responds by head-butting her, causing both to laugh.

By the time they arrive at the barn, the line has already snaked around to the fence lining the field. Wonwoo sort of expected a good turn out, but this exceeded his estimation by a good fifty people, at the least. Jeonghan comes running out the moment they approach, looking breathless, but elated.

“Good job, you guys!” he exclaims. “Look at the crowd! We’ll make our goal in no time at all!” Turning back to them, he pats Junhui’s arm. “Take a break. You’ll go on another round later in the afternoon for the evening crowd.”

“No,” Wonwoo says immediately before Junhui even opens her mouth. Jeonghan blinks, taken aback by the bite in his tone. “Junnie’s been harassed plenty enough already, in _plain daylight_. I almost punched a pair of perverts ogling her.” He waves a hand toward the line. “Those people can tell their friends or come back, even. That’s enough visitors to convince others to come. We don’t have to go out ourselves.”

 The senior makes a displeased face, but when he glimpses at Junhui’s somewhat reluctant and sheepish expression, halfway hidden behind Wonwoo, he relents. “Alright. I’ll switch you with Soonyoung and Seokmin. They’ve been screaming more than the guests anyway.”

Junhui stifles a laugh, and glances at Wonwoo. 

He grins, but a frown quickly overtakes his features. His eyes dip downward, “You need to change,” he says. “That’s enough of that dress.” And with that, he tugs Junhui away toward the bathroom, much to Jeonghan’s amusement. Because unlike Junhui, the senior didn’t fail to notice the dark and heated look crossing over Wonwoo’s expression.

The moment the bathroom door locks, Wonwoo’s lips are on Junhui’s, kissing, licking, sucking. She arches her back, leaning on the wall for support, clutching at his shoulders. Moans slip out of her almost as fast as his fingers undoing the buttons on the front of the dress. 

“You know,” she tries to speak in between ragged pants, body shuddering under his ministration, “I can… Mm… I can take my own clothes off.” 

“Yeah,” he sighs against her skin, slipping the top off of her shoulders and replacing the fabric with a series of kisses. “But I do it so much better.”

Soft sighs fill the air around them, as Junhui’s fingers find themselves in his hair, tangled in the short strands, tugging every time she jerks from the motion of his tongue and teeth. Hands roam, seeking more of that smooth and delicious golden skin. He encounters the hem of the skirt; he moves past it without a second thought.

“Wonwoo!” Her breath hitches, voice strained. She repeats his name over and over, head lolling to rest on his shoulder, breath hot against his skin. 

Fingers probe. Junhui shudders, pressing herself to him even more. Wonwoo feels like he’ll explode at any moment, but he forces his frantic movements to slow down, blinking out of the daze and spell she’s yet again put him under. 

“Please… Wonwoo…” 

“Tell me what you want, kitten,” he whispers, kissing her sweetly.

Junhui’s lips chase after his. “You. Just you.”

“Junnie.” A primal groan reverberates deep in his throat as he watches her. Cheeks flushed, large eyes glazed over from desire, wet with unshed tears. Her lips glisten, swollen from his nips and kisses. The top of the dress hangs around her hips, which he caresses slowly at the tip of his fingers. Wonwoo drinks in the sight of her disheveled state: purple hair splayed over golden skin, shifting with the heaving of her torso. His gaze lingers over the swell of her chest, mouth suddenly dry. 

He swallows thickly, lifting her up. Junhui wraps her legs around his waist, arms hugging him to her. Wonwoo leans forward, mouthing at her collarbones. With her regular clothes, no one will be able to see the blooming marks he sucks into existence. And even if they did, he thinks with satisfaction, smirk curving the corner of his lips, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. 

“But you’ve already got me, kitten,” he teases.

“Mm.” He doesn’t need to see her face to hear the pout in her voice. Junhui starts grinding against him, hesitantly at first. 

But when he answers with hungry grunts, and grips her hips tight enough to bruise, the movements become more deliberate. He moans, her name slipping out on a strangled breath. She giggles sweetly, such a contrast to the way her hips roll and rock against his jeans. Delicate kisses pepper his neck, gradually climbing to his jaw, then his ear.

“I love you, Jeon Wonwoo,” Junhui whispers. 

Her voice, soft and alluring, shoot straight to his heart. 

Wonwoo slams Junhui against the wall. The shock parts her lips in a startled cry. He dives in, tangling his tongue with hers, sucking on her delicious lips, swallowing all of her needy sighs and moans. When she squirms, he releases her lips. She pants, staring up at him from beneath her lashes. He leans their foreheads together, grinning widely. “Not as much as I love you, Moon Junnie.” 

 

_______________________________

 

“Look! It’s a full moon!” Junhui tugs on Wonwoo’s sleeve and points upward. He follows her finger, admiring the silvery light glowing from the sphere, putting all the stars around it to shame. 

Not unlike his own personal moon, he muses, turning back to gaze at her fondly. She smiles, expression soft, as her face upturns toward the dark sky. The moonlight caresses her features delicately, putting into relief the sparkles in her eyes. Warmth spreads through his chest; he tightens his hold around her hand, pressing their palms together. 

It’s the last day of the festival. Halloween. After overcoming the rocky start, the haunted house had gained a steady flow of visitors, and Jeonghan had been very happy to report that they made thrice the amount of money he expected. Now they were making their way back to the seniors’ apartment for a small celebration of their own. Indistinct chatter and occasional laughter drift through the quiet evening as their friends walk a few feet ahead of them. 

“Isn’t it pretty?” Junhui sighs in awe, still gazing at the sky.

The corner of Wonwoo’s mouth curves into a smirk, eyes gently looking at the girl at his side. “Yeah.”

Sensing his gaze on her, Junhui glances back at him. “Oh.” She blinks, realizing the compliment was directed at her. Right away, pink taints her cheeks, and she bites her lip, swatting at his arm. The sweater paw flaps, and he chuckles.

She leans her head against his shoulder, musing aloud, “Wouldn’t it be cool if we saw a witch flying over on her broom?”

“You want to see a witch?” he asks with amusement.

“Yeah,” she meets his gaze, grinning. “I think it’d be cool. Wouldn’t you?”

“Hmm…” he pretends to consider it. “I don’t know, it seems like it'd just spell toil and trouble. Although I’m sure you’d have a wicked time.”

Junhui snorts and rolls her eyes, but she’s grinning despite the dismissive gestures, prompting Wonwoo to grin broadly with pride. “I don’t know what’s more surprising,” she says, “The fact that you have seasonal jokes, or that I didn’t expect it.”

“Don’t lie, Junnie. We both know my jokes are great.”

“Mm,” she eyes him, tiny smile on her lips. “Debatable.”

He sticks his hand out and tickles her, causing a loud shriek of laughter to tumble out. She presses her hand over her mouth right as someone from the front calls out, “Someone’s having fun!” Sounds like Soonyoung.

Wonwoo rolls his eyes, while Junhui continues to giggle into her hands. 

Once the previous chatter starts up again, Junhui wonders out loud, “So you really wouldn’t want to see a witch?”

“Nah.” He shakes his head, then brings their entwined hands up to eye level. “I’ve got my hands full with one already.”

“Heyyy…” Junhui squints her eyes cutely and sticks her tongue out.

He laughs, leaning over to steal a kiss. “You know it’s true, kitten.”

Laughing as well, she cradles their hands against her chest and starts drawing patterns on the back of his hand. “So should I dress up as a witch for the party then?” When she meets his gaze, her eyes sparkle impishly. “You seemed quite fond of my costume. I know you kept it.”

Wonwoo’s face falls instantly. Tilting his head to place his mouth by her ear, he hisses, “That dress is not leaving the apartment. Ever.”

Seeing the warning flashing in his eyes, Junhui leaves it alone, albeit petulantly. “Fine." She purses her lip. “Then what should I be? Actually, since we’re at it,” mood lifting again, she asks, “What will you be?”

“Oh, I’ve already got mine,” he answers, drawing curiosity from Junhui, which turn her eyes round. “I’ll go as the owner of a very troublesome kitten.” He nudges her. “You can be the kitten.”

“Hey…” She swats his arm playfully. “I’m not troublesome!”

“Okay,” he agrees easily, smirk apparent. “Then be a good girl and do as I suggest.”

With a laugh, she argues, “Not fair!” 

“I think it is. Besides, you won’t even have to do anything out of the ordinary.” A smug grin hangs on his face. “Just act like how you usually do, and it’ll be  _purrfect,_ kitten.”

Shaking her head, she attempts to keep the grin from blooming across her lips. “How long were you waiting to say that?”

He laughs with pride. “Those things come to me naturally.”

“Sure.” An eye roll, followed by a chuckle. Fixing him with a glare that’s really not threatening at all, she points at him. “I’lll do it on one condition.”

Wonwoo grabs her hand and brings it to his teeth to bite it lightly. “What condition?”

With the utmost serious expression, she demands, “I get to have your share of the snacks and candy from tonight’s party.”

It’s so like Junhui to request snacks and candy, he bursts into laughter, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her against him. He buries his nose into the silky hair, muffling the laughter with a soft peck. When he pulls away, he teases, “You could’ve at least pretended to be coy about it, or asked for a kiss or something.”

Junhui tilts her head, round and innocent eyes staring back at him. “But you already give me those freely.”

Smile turning tender, he chuckles. “Guess you’re right, kitten.”

And so with that said, he pulls her into the shadow of a tree and proves her right.

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you've made it to the end, THANK YOU.
> 
> I really don't know what to expect (reader reaction wise) about a hetero-WonHui. I tried to keep Jun and Hao as themselves and just added small details here and there, but do tell me if it didn't work out. I've never written gender-bender fics, so i'm pretty nervous. Overall, i hope you still had a good time reading this Halloween fic despite the probable shortcomings.
> 
> Oh, and credit where credit is due. The general plot line is based on another otome game LOL
> 
> And I'm terribly sorry for ONCE AGAIN not having an update for TTLW. I promise, I am writing it!!! It'll be out next week, if things go according to plan. Thank you guys so much for sticking with me (and endure my tardiness). I love youuuuu


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